All The Things I Hate About You
by Leadle
Summary: "Basically Erz, we need you to use your not-so-femenine wiles to get this guy to ask you to prom, so Gray can go with his sister." While the plan seemed stupid enough to be simple, she never expected that one blip from her past to come crashing back into her life at full-speed.
1. Chapter 1

"So, what do you need from me this time?" Erza asked the two idiots in front of her. "It better not be something illegal again."

Natsu and Gray just looked at each other, having a silent debate about who could explain this plan better. They always did that. She could read their faces like the back of her hand after eight years of dealing with them and their nonsense. They might've been two years younger than her, but they were by far her best friends – although she didn't have many friends to choose from. She was about eight when Gray moved into the house next door to hers, followed the next year by Natsu moving into the house across the street. Even back then they started at each other the same way, right before proposing the craziest scheme that boys their age could muster up in their pea-sized brains.

Every time they told her to meet them in South Gate Park, they needed something from her. Since they were kids, they would meet in the same tree house built in between two of the biggest sola trees in the park. Whatever followed these meetings usually landed them in the back of Igneel's police car.

Although this particular plan was mostly Gray's, he didn't fully trust himself not to start hyperventilating in the middle of his explanation. Erza had a way of getting under his skin. This topic was too important for him to stutter his way through. This needed the upmost level of professionalism. His thoughts must've shown on his face somehow because Natsu gave him a quick nod and turned to Erza.

"Okay, so our very best friend, Gray Fullbuster, has finally found a girl that he is interested in after almost sixteen years of living lonely and girl-less. He met some girl in the library the other day and -"

"Bullshit. What were you doing in a library? Do you even know how to read?"

"Erza! This is important!" Gray hollered out at her. She'd never seen him look so flustered. _I didn't even know he could feel this strongly about anything._ "She was the coolest girl I've ever met! And she was so good-looking. She had blue hair and long ass legs and she was funny as hell."

"Sounds like you have everything figured out. Why am I in this damn treehouse and not home watching Netflix?"

"Her stupid dad won't let her date. Not yet at least... Well he said not ever. I don't know. He's just in my way. Having real parents seems exhausting."

"I'm fucking confused. Are you asking me to kill her dad? That's not an option. I said nothing illega-"

Natsu cut in before Gray could go into another long ass tangent. "If either of you had let me finish, we could've been back home by now!" He looked between the two of them, daring them to open their mouths again. With an over-dramatic eye roll, he continued on. "Apparently within the 12 minutes that they had known each other, he brought up prom... And she not-so-surprisingly went home that night asking her dad for permission to go to the prom." He paused at the sound of Erza's chuckle.

"This isn't any quicker. Skip to whatever part I'm involved in."

Natsu just rolled his eyes before continuing on. "Well he said that she could go if her older brother goes."

"Not only goes, but asks someone to go with him. He goes to Magnolia High too. I think he's a senior, _just like you_."

"Gray, you had your chance. Shut up. Basically sis, we need you to use your not-so-feminine wiles to get this guy to ask you to prom, so Gray can go with his beloved Julia."

" _Juvia._ Her name is _Juvia._ "

 _Why does that name sound so familiar?_ Erza sat there with her own thoughts, trying to put a face to that name. Did they really think she would do something like this? They weren't even in high school the last time Erza even considered getting involved with someone romantically. _Stupid sophomores. Why are they even allowed to go to prom? And who the hell is this Juvia girl?_ She quickly gave up and faced them, ready to decline their ridiculous request.

"– really calling _me_ stupid? This whole thing was your idea dumbass!"

"Did you finally freeze you brain over? The only suggestion I made was Erza!"

 _So it was Natsu's dumb idea to drag me into this._

"What a great idea that was! The only guys she talk to are us! We don't even know if she likes guys!" _What the fuck, Gray._ "I still think Lucy would've been a better bet."

"She's literally my girlfriend."

"Yea, well Juvia could be mine some day. She _should_ be my girlfriend some day _soon_. If not that, then at least my prom date." _Aww, he's blushing. He must really like this girl._ "I would appreciate if you took this a little seriously. I really need you guys to help me. You know better than anyone else that I don't waste my time with girls and relationships. But Juvia's different. I need you assholes, so please stop screwing around and let's make a plan!"

All three of them were stunned into silence after Gray's rant. That outburst was unexpected to say the least. They didn't even know Gray cared about things anymore. Natsu looked over at Erza trying to see if he could sense whether she would agree or not. It's been a while since Gray had opened up like that, so he was sure if she wasn't moved by the speech, she might just be too surprised to think straight and agree to help anyway. If he had to guess, her face had him leaning toward the 'surprised into submission' route. He looked over at Gray and saw pretty much the same amount of surprise that Erza was wearing. 'C _learly he wasn't planning on sharing that much with us,'_ Natsu thought.

Natsu had been right. Erza didn't have it in her to deny Gray something that meant so much to him. As much as she liked to fuck with them, their happiness was important to her. She knew she'd regret it - probably right after agreeing - but that's basically how it went every time they met up in this big ass tree house. No matter how crazy their adventures were, they'd always come back, ready of the next one.

She couldn't let them know that she had a soft side for them though. So she threw her head back and let out the most theatrical sigh that she could muster up. "Fine Gray. Since you've resorted to begging... I'll seduce this mystery man so you can seduce his little sister. I refuse to be held responsible for the broken hearts that will lay in our wake at the end of this all." She finished the scene with her hand on her heart and her eyes downcast. _End every line w_ _ith emotion._

They both looked up with the most childish grins on their faces, completely disregarding the Oscar-worthy scene she just played out for them. While Natsu wore that smile a lot, it was something she rarely saw on Gray. It kind of warmed her heart, although she would never let them know that.

"Really Erza? You're gonna help me?"

"Yes, idiot. When do I ever say no?"

Natsu shot up and started to make his way out of the tree house. "Hell yea! Let's get the hell outta here and draw up some battle plans. This is gonna be out hardest mission yet. I don't think Team Natsu is gonna be enough. I'll have to send out for reinforcements."

" _No dumbass_! I don't want everyone to know what I'm going through right now. And stop calling us that!"

While Gray was struggling to get down to the ground to stop Natsu from calling anyone else, Erza stood in his way, taking into account the condition of the ladder that they carelessly climb so often. "Hey guys, how has this ladder lasted so long? This is the same one that has been here since I first learned how to climb."

Natsu didn't even take the time to look up at her from his spot at the bottom of the ladder. "Who cares? Focus on the task at hand!"

By the time Natsu hit the ground he had his cell phone out sending text messages to all of their closest friends. Gray couldn't make it down the ladder in time to stop him. Before he could tackle Natsu to the ground he felt his phone vibrate. He knew it was Natsu. He _loved_ making group messages.

 _Natsu:_ **Everyone get to my house right the hell now. Gray's in love!**

Even Erza had to laugh out loud at the look on Gray's face. This is the most she's ever seen him blush. It was no point trying to go home now; Natsu would just drag her back across the street. He was already too invested in this. There was no stopping him once he put his mind to something, especially when it came to matter's of the heart. _Tch, such a romantic._

On the walk back home, Erza was too preoccupied listening to Gray gab about this Juvia girl to even think about asking who the hell this brother of hers is. In the back of her mind she was still trying to remember where she had heard that name before.

* * *

Before they even approached his house, they saw all of the cars parked on their street. Natsu knew they would show up quicker if he put Gray on the spot. He couldn't even hide the mischief that was oozing out of his smirk. Natsu didn't even have to turn around to know that Gray was giving him the most evil face he could possibly make. He felt those dark blue eyes burning a hole into the side of his head. One look at Erza and Natsu knew that she felt it too.

Erza leaned forward past Natsu to look at Gray. She gave him an apologetic look, silently telling him to brace himself. This was about to be a long ass night.


	2. Chapter 2

"Okay listen. I wasn't expecting Igneel to be home, and he told me not to invite people over anymore if I'm not home. So we're gonna go through the back door and try and get to the basement door as _quietly_ and as _swiftly_ as possible," Natsu whisper-screamed as he made his way to the back of his house.

Erza knew the difference between a difficult task and a suicide mission. Anything involving trying to get past Igneel was a suicide mission. The man graduated at the top of his class from the Magnolia Police Academy, and then spent 5 years randomly overseas with the military. He never even brought up enlisting. All shenanigans jumped to threat level midnight if Igneel was around. Their success rate dropped significantly if he caught wind of their nonsense.

"Dammit Natsu! Why wouldn't you just ask him if it was okay? I really don't wanna get my ass kicked tonight." Gray cringed at the thought of the last time Igneel caught them sneaking in after curfew.

"We'll be fine if you just shut the hell up and move _swiftly_ and _quietly_."

After tiptoeing through the grass and making it to the back door, they felt the pressure rise up. They could hear their friends hollering in the basement once they opened the door. Natsu peeked his head into the house to do a clean sweep of the family room and the kitchen. When he confirmed that the coast was clear, he held the door for Erza and Gray before clicking it shut quietly and –

" _Natsu Dragneel."_

At the sound of Igneel's firm voice they all froze. They looked up to see him leaning against the basement door, the one that was Ingeel-less just 2 seconds ago. _Well I guess making a run for it is out of the question._ Realizing there was no way out, Natsu decided feigning ignorance was his best bet.

"Igneel! You're home already? It's good to see you!" He knew that the smile he was trying to sport did nothing to hide the fear that was so prominent on his face. He ran across the room with his arms spread out, hoping for the slight chance that Igneel would just hug him back, and not take advantage of his unprotected face and midsection.

Halfway to the door, Natsu found himself facedown on the ground underneath his foster father. He looked up in enough to see Erza and Gray's backsides as they ran down the basement steps. " _Traitors!_ "

"Is there any particular reason that I came home from work to five of your friends raiding my kitchen? Without that being a sight in itself, you were nowhere to be found! Isn't that something?"

Natsu began to kick and try to wiggle out from underneath him. "It's not my fault! Zeref didn't care when I had people over; I'm still trying to get used to you being here! You can call him and ask," Natsu knew that was pushing it. Igneel could either surrender, accepting that he was the one that left Natsu in the care of his older brother for five years; or he could bring up that he'd been back for over a year now.

Instead, Natsu got flipped over, flicked on the forehead, and put back onto his feet. "Well I guess I'm going to have to go down to Magnolia U and give him a lesson on proper parenting skills."

Natsu yelled out something between a relieved sigh and a surprised laugh. He had no idea that would work out so well! He decided to make a run for it before Igneel changed his mind. "Yea, you do that! I'm going down stairs now!"

* * *

"Natsu! You're alive! We were so worried," Erza yelled at the sight of her friend walking across the basement.

He just rolled his eyes at her. "You're so full of shit. You literally left me up there to die."

"Dude, he just charged at us. What did you expect us to do?" Natsu knew Gray was right. If Ur had ran at them like that, Gray would've been on his own. "Can we just get a move on with this so I can go bury myself in my embarrassment and self-pity at home?"

"Seriously. I don't even know why I'm here."

Natsu head shot up in confusion at the sound of Gajeel's voice. "Why _are_ you here? I didn't text you." He did a once-over of all of the people in the basement to see that it wasn't really the group that he'd envisioned.

"Wait, I didn't text you either, Laxus! Cana, Mira, and Luce are supposed to be here. Where is Levy?"

"I was at Mira's house," Laxus snorted.

"Levs had homework, so she made me come here instead so I can tell her what happened. Now shut up and get a move on because I could care less about who Gray is boning."

Cana and Laxus both let out hearty laughs at Gajeel's comment. Laxus patted Gray on the head, making a deep red blush appear on his already angry face. "As if this kid would be boning anyone!"

Cana leaned forward from the couch she was sitting on and grabbed her water bottle. "I don't know Laxus, he is known for taking his clothes off. Maybe it finally paid off." When she twisted off the cap, Lucy literally gagged from the strong smell emanating from the bottle.

Natsu came up to the couch to sit on the other side of Lucy. He grabbed the throw pillow from behind her and smacked all three of them with it. "Will you guys shut the hell up? I didn't invite you here to crack jokes. We need to make up a plan." Cana alone was not too much to deal with; but with Gajeel and Laxus in the mix, he wasn't confident they'd get much done.

Lucy leaned forward to join the conversation. "I think it's awesome that Gray is in love, but –"

"I'm not in love! I just met a cool girl that I kinda wanna date and take to prom or whatever. It's not even a big deal. I don't know why he called you guys over here."

"Gray, I've literally never seen a blush on your face before. I didn't even know that blood circulated through your face. Don't tell me this isn't a big deal and DON'T CUT ME OFF!"

If his cheeks were rosy before, then he knew his face was white as a ghost now. He was convinced Lucy had a split personality or something. He tried telling Natsu a million times before they started dating that her sweet demeanor was a cover for something much more gruesome. No matter how many times she kicked the crap out of them, Natsu was too blinded by love. Gray knew that out of all of his crazy friends, Lucy was by far the craziest. He was starting to realize that Natsu was right in picking Erza for the plan.

Her outburst shut everyone up. "As I was saying… While I think it's awesome that you're in love – even if you don't want to admit it – what are we making a plan for? This seems like a very simple thing to accomplish."

"Well Lucy, her dad has a stick up his ass when it comes to the lives of normal 21st-century teenagers, because she isn't allowed to date. So he made a deal that if her brother asks a girl to prom and actually goes, then she can go with me. That's a step in the right direction." When Gray finished his part of the story, Natsu took over.

"From what we gathered from her, her brother is a creepy asshole in the twelfth grade. So we got Erza to humbly accept the role of his bait, since she fits that description to a T."

"Well we can't really argue there."

"Shut up, Gajeel. What do you mean 'creepy asshole'?" Erza was suddenly very interested in the conversation. "You didn't say _anything_ about this kid being anything but normal! He's not gothic or anything along those lines, is he?"

Gray let out a quick laugh. "Actually no. She may have brought up a few things. He's more into stealing cars and playing with guns and getting tattoos for fun. The kind of creepy things that are more scary than creepy. Nothing you can't handle, Erza."

She just stared at him. "He's a _criminal_? Nothing I can't handle! ARE YOU SERIOUS? Is there anything else you want to share with me that you probably should've told me before I agreed to do this for you?"

She began to inch toward Natsu and Gray, whether she was doing it purposely or on instinct. They looked at each other before turning back to her.

"Now c'mon Erza, we've all been in trouble with the law once or twice. You and Mira have even been to juvie."

"Yea, you're not too different. I don't think any girl in school gets into as many fights as you do. You guys could really hit it off."

Their words were all for naught. She looked like she was ready to attack. Luckily right when she leapt towards them, Laxus came from behind her and grabbed her around the waist.

"Okay Erza. We don't have time for this. I want to go home, and you're going to need a lot of work if you're going to get this guy is going to even _want_ to ask you to prom." He placed her onto the floor next to Mira.

She did a once over of Erza and then looked to Gray who was already half-naked next to Natsu on the couch. "Erza's not so bad; it's Gray we need to worry about. She's hot and edgy; any guy who's not a complete punk ass will find her attractive."

"That's not necessarily true. It's not like Gray is ugly or anything. The girls at school find him attractive," Cana stated while she walked over to the other side of the couch to sit next to Gray.

Mira tapped her chin while she contemplated her next words, "Gray is cute, but can't keep his clothes on for his life. That is definitely more likely to scare someone away than Erza's temper."

"Juvia doesn't care about my stripping habit. She finds it funny for some reason."

Erza looked up in thought. "That name sounds so familiar. Are you sure she's a new student?"

"Juvia _Lockser_? Is that who we're talking about?"

Gajeel looked around at everyone waiting for someone to answer him. He looked as if her last name changed the entire situation.

Gray frowned at him. "Yea, that's her last name. Do you have a class with her or something?"

"Nope. No. Leave her alone. Juvi is off limits to you, stripper. When the hell did she transfer here? She lives in Magnolia?"

" _Juvi_? Why the fuck do you have a nickname for her, Metal Face? She's hasn't even been here for three weeks yet! How do you know Juvia?" Gray looked around at the skocked faces of his friends while he was trying to catch his breath from his sudden outburst. He hadn't realized that he was yelling until he heard her name echo through the basement when he finally shut up. He had a blush on his face for what felt like the hundredth time that night. "Uhh I mean –"

Cana let out another obnoxious cackle before throwing her arm over Gray's shoulders. "Uh oh, looks like you have some competition. What would Levy think, Gajeel?"

"Relax asshole. She was my best friend back when I lived in Oak Town. And as _your_ friend I'm obligated to tell you that your plan is going to fail. Her brother is hella over-protective of her. Jellal's beaten my ass more times than I can count and I was just her friend. You don't stand a chance."

"Did you just say _Jellal_?" Mira yelled out before Gajeel even had time to close his mouth.

Cana was on the floor with tears in her eyes at this point. "So many skeletons popping out of the closet! Mira's been with the brother! These two have been all through this group of friends."

Lucy took the pillow Natsu was holding and threw it at Cana. "Shut up, you drunkard! Mira, how do you know the brother?" She was leaning at the edge of her seat, just as excited as Cana.

Mira let out a little giggle and looked over at Erza who was frozen, staring wide-eyed in no particular directon. "I don't know him too well; but if we're talking about the same Jellal, then Erza definitely does. This might be easier than we thought."

Erza had a look on her face as if she'd just seen a ghost. "Gajeel, your Jellal doesn't have a tattoo on his face, does he?"

She didn't even have to ask. Once she heard his name, she knew. That's why Juvia sounded so familiar. How did she forget? Gray said she had blue hair; of course her brother would too. How did she not ask his name? _Why did I agree to this?_

"Yea he does. How do you know him?"

Erza had already stood up and began making her way towards the stairs. "Would you look at the time? I just remembered that I have work in the morning. I don't think I'm the best suited for this plan anyway, sorry Gray." She was practically all the way to the main level by the time she finished what she was saying.

They heard the front door of Natsu's house slam shut before any of them even got a chance to fully grasp what just happened.

" _Does anyone know what the hell just happened?"_ Natsu was the first to say anything.

Mira just chuckled again. "Damn, I didn't expect her to react that way. I think you broke her brain, Gajeel."

"I just asked her how she knew Jellal, which I still wanna know. So spill, Grandma."

"Just because my hair is white doesn't mean I'm old, asshole." She hated when he called her that. "And it's not my business to tell."

Everyone collectively protested, wanting to know why Erza just ran away like a scared little girl. Laxus was the loudest and the most demanding, however. "Oh hell no! You have to tell us now, Mira. Erza doesn't react that way to anything. You're going to tell us who this Jellal guy is."

Gray decided to piggyback off of Laxus' argument. "Exactly! She already promised to help me! She can't turn her back now just because of some random guy with a face tattoo! Who the hell is he to her?"

Mira didn't even look phased by what just happened. "Don't worry, I'll talk to her. There's now way she's not going to help you." She looked to each person sitting in the basement. Even Cana looked interested in who this mystery guy was that had Erza completely shaken up. "I'll tell you guys, but we're going to change up the plan a little. As long as you promise to keep your mouths shut. She can't know."

After they all promised to follow Mira in whatever plan she had cooking up in her evil brain, she began her story.

* * *

AN: Thanks guys. I think I'm a crap writer, but I'm glad you enjoyed this


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I owe you an apology. I love you guys.

* * *

As always, Gray was the last to leave Natsu's house. He couldn't help but think about the story that Mira shared with them not even two hours ago. It was strange learning something new about someone you thought you knew everything about. Just earlier him and Natsu were talking about how they'd never seen Erza with a guy at all. Now, knowing what had happened between her and this mysterious face-tat, he felt kind of bad saying that in front of her.

He hadn't realized he'd started walking through the lawn in between his and Erza's houses until he was looking up at the second-story balcony that wrapped around the side and back of her house. After checking for any sign of light coming from the door to her room, he began to walk up the balcony stairs. Under normal circumstances, he knew that she wouldn't mind him just walking through the door and into her room; but considering the condition Gray had last seen her in, he chose to knock for the first time in years.

 _BANG! BANG! BANG!_

Gray winced at how vicious his knocks sounded against the white wooden door. His eyes grew wide when he heard the sound of something smacking against a wall, followed shortly by Erza yelping in pain. _She's gonna kill me. I should've taken my ass home._

He would've ran home if he wasn't sure that she would come after him. He heard her getting closer to the door, cursing whoever was on the other side. He couldn't even remember why he came over here in the first place. _Oh yea, to tell her that she doesn't have to help me._ He wanted to be a good friend and come check on her. Hearing her turn the knob made Gray panic, but he didn't run. Even if Erza didn't want to talk, he would still let her know that she had a friend right next door that was willing to talk and whatever else she needed.

"You little shit!" She hadn't even waited for the door to fully open before she was snapping at the mystery person that decided to bang on her door at eleven o'clock on a Sunday night. Even if she wasn't sleeping, it was their fault that she hit her head; therefore, they deserved to get disemboweled. _Erza logic._ "Are you prepared to die for harassing me in the middle of the night?"

Once she finally finished swinging her door open and she saw a shirtless Gray leaning against her doorframe, she had half a mind to just close it in his face. She really wasn't in the mood to talk to any of her friends after she acted like such a punk ass in front of them.

If anyone else were around, she would've expected him to start stuttering about how he wasn't ready to die by her hands (like he always did when they had an audience). Instead, he was just staring at her.

Eye contact was one of the main ways they communicated. Whenever something stupid was going on, they would look for each other's eyes to confirm that they weren't the only one witnessing the bullshit around them. They would often just look at one another; just to make the other is okay. After knowing someone for so long, their facial expressions say more than their words. Gray always looked away first. He always complained that her eyes were 'too intense'. The two of them were a lot calmer when they were only in the company of each other. The silence was usually very comfortable for her.

On this particular night however, it was unnerving. His eyes were too dark of a blue, and it was creeping her out. His face was too pale and his bone structure was too defined; he looked like the fucking Grim Reaper. She finally understood what he meant about her eyes. She was a strong believer in not being the first to break eye contact with somebody. But then after thinking about who taught her that, she panicked and turned away.

Erza began to walk back to her bed, leaving the door open so he could let himself in. "Why the hell do you look like that?"

Gray was confused, to say the least. Erza never just looked away from him like that. It made him lose his train of thought. He completely ignored her question and walked over to her dresser to grab a pair of his basketball shorts out of her bottom drawer, then made his way to the other side of her bed.

Erza was lying against her headboard with her eyes closed, almost forgetting that Gray was in the room with her until she felt the other side of her bed dip from the weight of him lying down. She was glad that he had the decency of changing out of his street clothes before getting under her blankets. That led her to think about a certain blue-haired idiot that always hopped in her bed with his dirty clothes and how much it used to infuriate her and –

"Erza, what the hell are you think about? Your face is twisting up in that way it always does before you punch someone."

Erza looked down at Gray's concerned face before she slowly slid down her headboard and sunk further into her blankets.

"Ugh it hasn't even been two hours since I've been reminded of that asshole and my brain has already turned on me." She turned to lay on her side with her back facing Gray. She knew he'd start tracing the letters on the back of her t-shirt with his finger. It was a weird habit of his that she loved feeling. It surprised her that she was willing to talk about Jellal with Gray; she never had before. She decided to just lye there until he asked her what had happened between them. _If big mouth Mira hasn't told them already_.

"How many people know you're a member of NHS?" Gray continued to trace the names of the different National Honor Society members that were listed on Erza's back.

"Only you and Natsu. Well Levy too, but only because she's a member. Why?"

"I was just thinking that I knew all your secrets... Except for your hardcore boyfriend, of course." He heard her laugh a little and he knew that she was feeling a little better.

"He was never my boyfriend. I had no reason to tell you. You were still in middle school and I had just started high school. I met him at that stupid summer camp that Gramps sent me and Mira to."

"Oh! The _Camp for Troubled Youths and Juvenile Deliquents_? You met him in juvie! I should've known," Gray rolled onto his back and held his stomach while he laughed. He was half expecting it when she turned around and punched him in his arm; however he wasn't expecting the soft smile that graced her face, although he was happy to see it.

"Shut up, asshat. Don't make me laugh. I'm supposed to be drowning myself in the misery brought on by horrid memories of the devil that goes by the name Jellal."

"And I'm supposed to be at home burying myself in embarrassment and self-pity," he laughed. "Today took a weird turn, didn't it?"

"Can't deny that. You were a little bitchass tonight. What do you have to say for yourself?" Erza settled back into her spot facing Gray, awaiting his response.

"Honestly you won't understand until you meet Juvia. She's so open about everything, it's the complete opposite of me." _She sounds like her brother._

"Well I've never met her brother, so I can't really say," Gray stated. Erza's eyes shot open at the realization that she was thinking out loud. Gray continued to talk before she could even respond. "You don't have to help me get Juvia, you know. I wouldn't make you go through that."

Gray was expecting her to be relieved, maybe thank him. He was surprised yet again when he got shoved off of the bed and smacked with a pillow.

"What the hell, Gray? I told you I'd help you, didn't I? I'm no pussy-bitch. I stick to my word! I'm taking that asshole to prom so you can go with Juvia." Gray was on the ground stunned by her outburst. He thought for sure that Erza would've appreciated a way out of the situation. He couldn't believe that stupid red head just whacked him with a damn pillow. How old are we? He was not letting her off that easy.

As Erza was crawling back to her side of the bed she felt herself get pushed forward, straight across the bed onto the floor. Gray was laughing hysterically at the sight of Erza landing face first on her black carpet. Before she even had the chance to get up, he ran around the bed and got on the floor next to her, lightly pulling her arm behind her back.

"Act your age, Erza! We're not gonna have a pillow fight. If you wanna fight me, square up like a grown woman!" He knew she would kick his ass, but it was always a fun fight between them.

Erza was fast. Her moves were so quick and calculating, Gray wondered if she even registered them in her mind before executing them. He had a hard time keeping up every time they sparred. He didn't have much of a problem blocking her punches; it was her kicks that always got him. You could never tell where she was going to strike. It didn't take long for Erza to end the fight with a low sweep kick, knocking Gray onto his back.

He was just about to hop back up when the sound of Erza's room door opening made him look up. All he saw was a pair of slippers flying right towards them.

In the heat of the moment, Gray kicked Erza legs out from under her to protect her face from the incoming projectiles. She was airborne for a good three seconds before her butt smacked against the ground and her eyes practically popped out of her skull on impact. Her fall was so hard it made him wince. _Maybe a slipper to the face would've been the less painful of the two._

Erza was so busy trying to decide whether Gray had just broken her tailbone – or had just done away with her life altogether – that she didn't even notice the old man hunched over laughing in her doorway.

"Well I came in here to shut you kids up, but it looks like Gray did the job for me! Thanks a lot, kiddo," he stuttered between his childish giggles.

"I had just kicked his ass before you came in here throwing footwear at us, Grandpa Rob," Erza grumbled before she reached over and knocked Gray back down. Now that he wasn't dodging slippers, he had the chance to feel the pain in all over his body caused by Erza's aggressive ass. At least he got her back.

"Yea, old man. You have to stop throwing things at us. I still have a bruise on my head from that wooden spoon you threw while we were helping you with dinner last week." Gray always left Erza's house with a new injury. Whether it was from her or the old man, it was always someone leaving him lumped up.

"I wouldn't have to throw things at you clowns if you followed my rules! It's almost midnight and you have school tomorrow, and I have work! Gray get your ass home before I sick my granddaughter on you; I'm sure you've had enough for one night you wuss." He began to laugh again while he walked in and offered them both a hand to help them up off of the floor. Although reluctant, they accepted the offer and were pulled up onto their feet with ease.

He pulled them both in for a quick hug before heading back to his room. Gray slowly made his was to the side of the bed and grabbed his pants, folded them up and placed them in her drawer with the rest of his and Natsu's stuff.

"Yaknow, I'm gonna feel this in the morning. I hope you bruised your ass when you hit the ground," Gray said over his shoulder as he was trying to stuff the over-filled drawer shut. It was honestly worth the pain just to see her out of her sour mood. He wouldn't tell her that, though.

She smiled softly to herself as she limped over to the door. "Whatever, loser. Go home before I have to fuck you up further." She waited for him to say his goodbye and walk down to the ground before she ran out and called for him over the balcony.

"Hey Gray! Thank you…"

He looked up and sent her a quick smile before walking towards the basement door to his house. "Maybe I'll text Juvia tomorrow after school and see if she wants to go to the library. You can come meet her if she's free." On that note, she walked back into her room, shut the door, and plopped down onto her big bed.

She knew that Gray had come over to cheer her up, and even though she wouldn't admit it, it had worked. She would've done the same thing if their roles had been reversed. Even though she really didn't want to go down the road that this plan was leading towards, she would do it for him. He deserved a girl that could break him out of the shell that he keeps himself in. She already felt a little more at ease with the fact that she was willingly letting Jellal back into her life, or nudging her way back into his. She sent a quick text to Mira saying that she was still down with the plan before getting comfortable in her bed, counting the glow-in-the-dark stars that covered her walls and ceiling. At least she had a little bit of time before she had to see him. She'd worry about meeting Juvia tomorrow and focus on Gray until she had to dive back into her past and face the Devil. _Yea, that's a sound plan._

* * *

Juvia peeked out of her room door and tip-toed to the room at the very end of the hall. She knocked so quietly that she wasn't sure if the man on the other side even heard them. She got her answer when the door swung open and her older brother stood before her with a cigarette in his mouth. Even though his face looked naturally angry, he somehow managed to look a little less angry when he was dealing with Juvia.

After she walked into his room and made herself comfortable on his bed, he walked back to his open window and threw the cigarette out. He sat next to her on his bed and began to run his fingers through her hair.

"Why are you awake Juves? It's after midnight. You have to be up early in the morning."

"I can't sleep. Jose isn't home yet and I knew you'd be awake. Can we just watch something on television until I fall asleep?"

Jellal sighed. He'd never tell her how much of a hassle her sleeping in his bed was. She always clung to the nearest object with a superhuman grip, be it a pillow or a living person. Regardless, he never denied her what she wanted. She was so _spoiled._

"Fine. But I'm not watching anything new. I'll turn on The Office until you fall asleep. If you attack me in your sleep I'm throwing you off the bed."

Juvia knew he was full of shit. He would never deny a sleepover with her if she asked. She just rolled her eyes and searched his Netflix list for their favorite show. He was only being difficult because he wanted her to be well rested for tomorrow.

While she was nervous to start her first day of Magnolia High, she was very excited to surprise Gray at his school. She didn't know if they had any classes together, but it wasn't that big of a school; they were bound to see eachother at least once.

While she was lost in thought, Jellal snatched the remote out of her hands and turned on a quiet episode from season two. They both got more comfortable in their spots, using the television as background noise as they thought about their upcoming first day. If all else failed, they still had eachother.


	4. Chapter 4

" _Time to wake up, Gray."_

Gray heard the murmur of voices through his hazy mind. He hated when people tried to wake him up. Sleep was something natural that your body needs. In Gray's eyes, his body was the only thing capable of regulating when he should wake up. There was a reason he didn't use alarms in the mornings. He tried very hard to tune them out and hold onto however much more sleep he could get, until he realized the amount of weight resting on his back.

Gray instantly woke up when he felt his breath being forced out of his lungs. His first instinct was to flail around until the monster straddling his back fell off; but this creature was too fast.

Before Gray knew it, his arms were being restrained behind his back and he felt his legs being pinned down. _The beast has help._

"Why is it that you are sixteen years old and still need an entire army to wake your bum ass up?"

"Alarms exist for a reason, young one."

Gray groaned after hearing the voices of his attackers. He should've known. Who else would harass him this early in the morning? It wasn't even worth fighting back. Gray just sunk his face back into his pillow.

"Ultear, get your fat ass off of my back. Lyon, get the fuck off of my legs!" Gray knew he was in a bad situation. He could take either of them one-on-one, but whenever two out of the three joined forces against the other, the winning side was predetermined. Gray's only options were to take the loss like a champ, or use his secret weapon. He was usually above using said weapon; however, it was entirely too early and he was beyond tired.

Gray was not a morning person.

"These are the best seats in the house, Gray! We were sent in here to wake you up, we mine as well make ourselves comfortable." He could practically hear the smirk on Lyon's face.

Gray tried one more time to wiggle his way out of their clutches, only resulting in their raucous laughter. He just groaned and looked over his shoulder. Of course, there they were, smiling at him like the evil creatures they were.

"What the hell do you want?"

"What we wanted was to not get interrupted from our morning routines, just to get you out of bed in time for school," Ultear complained. "Unfortunately, that has already been taken away from us, so you must suffer in one way or another."

Lyon poked him in his sides, causing Gray to practically jump out of his skin. "There is only one satisfying way to truly get you back though."

Nobody knew how ticklish Gray really was except for his family. It was such a problem that he had no idea how he kept it a secret from everyone. He was somewhat grateful that they gave him a heads up of their evil plan. They were like the stupid villains in horrible action movies. He knew exactly how to take actions against them. He just hoped his secret weapon would pull through for him.

He took one last look over his shoulder at his siblings preparing to destroy him. Then, took a deep breathe in, trying to be a still as possible so to not warn them of his next move. He only had one shot, if that.

"UR! HELP! COME GET YOUR EVIL CREATURES OFF OF ME!"

Lyon and Ultear were instantly on him. Ultear diving to cover his mouth while Lyon was going to town on his sides. They knew that in just a matter of seconds, the real beast was going to arrive.

He felt Ultear directly in his ear before she even began to speak. " _You'll pay for that one_."

He knew he would, but at the moment he was just happy to hear his door get kicked open.

They all stopped what they were doing and turned their heads towards the door to see their mother standing at the door with fire in her eyes. At that moment Gray wasn't so sure that he'd made the best decision.

"Is there any particular reason that there is not one child in this house ready for school yet?"

None of them wanted to respond.

Gray, being the obvious victim in the situation decided that he had the least to lose. "In my own defense, I have two monkeys resting on my back. I can't really get up."

This proved to be his second mistake of the morning.

Ur ran across the room and smacked all three of them in the back of the head before they even knew what was happening. "If you just woke yourself up in the mornings, they wouldn't have even had to come in here! Now don't be a punk and call your mom to fight your battles for you."

Gray was too stunned to even retaliate to what she had just said. She was already making her way to his door. "Ultear, Lyon, you better be outta here in five minutes. Breakfast is almost ready."

He could literally feel the mischief coursing through them. "Thanks Ma, we'll be out soon."

Turned on by his own mother… Gray just took another deep breath, preparing himself for what was to come. _I should've just let them tickle me_. His only option was to take this beating, and hope for an amazing breakfast. _What a way to start the day._

* * *

Juvia fell into the passenger seat of Jellal's car. She never understood why he picked a car so low to the ground. She would've made a snide comment about it when he got in if she weren't so tired. Jellal underestimated how hilarious season two of The Office really is. They were up for at least three more hours laughing and not caring about school. It seemed like a good idea at the time; but now that it was barely 7 o'clock in the morning, she realized her mistake. She didn't even take the time to find a bomb ass outfit that would impress all of her new classmates. That's what people supposed to do on their first days of school, especially when you're the new kid in a school that has already started their year. The majority of her very short morning was spent putting her wild curly hair into a bun. She looked down at her outfit and laughed to herself softly. She had on a simple white v-neck that fit her perfectly; it hugged her torso so perfectly, while the v-cut wasn't too low as to show off too much of her chest. She wore a pair of navy blue sweatpants that were also form fitting, but not so tight that it looked like she was wearing an extra layer of skin. And she completed her outfit with her favorite low-top white chucks. Simple, but still cute. _Just like me._ She was somewhat grateful that she was too tired to pick out a fancy outfit. She was the girl that could rock the hell out of dirty Chucks and sweats while everyone else had on some unnecessarily expensive shit.

Jellal walked out of the house, making sure the door was locked behind him and slowly made his way to his car. He kind of felt bad that he kept his little sister up all night. He knew that they were both used to late nights and early mornings, but things had to change. Making sure Juvia got to sleep at a reasonable hour seemed like a suitable start. He was quickly trying to remember some key points about Magnolia High that he could tell her when he got into his car. Before he even got into his seat comfortably, he felt her pushing him back out.

"What the hell!" Juvia wanted to kill her brother in that moment. There was no way that she was going to school matching her brother! She watched him turn his head with a confused face ready to start yelling at her, until he saw her outfit. Realization spread across his face so fast before he looked down at his own outfit. A simple white t-shirt with a pair of blue jeans and his high-top white Converses. Of course this would happen. "Jellal go change! This is gross." He was too busy laughing to even entertain her ridiculous request.

Jellal set up the GPS on his phone and turned on some music that he knew they'd both enjoy. "Well good morning to you as well. And no, I already locked the door. You can use your own key and go inside if you want." He knew she was too lazy to actually get up, so he just started to pull out of the driveway before she answered him. "I doubt we'll see each other anyway, little sophomore." He handed Juvia his phone so she could navigate. Neither of them liked the hostile voice of the woman that was programmed into the app.

She felt less angry now that there was good music playing. _He probably did that on purpose._ She looked down at his phone so she could get an idea of where they were going. Then she was how far the school was and got mad all over again.

"I'm not understanding why we are leaving at 7:05 when we only live five minutes away. You said homeroom didn't start until 7:30."

"Take your hair out of that bun." She always looked friendlier with her hair down. He needed her to at least pass for a decent person before she opened her mouth and people saw how much of an asshole she was.

Jellal looked at the tiny digital clock on top of his dashboard and then over to Juvia's scowling face while she ran her fingers through her newly freed curls. "Well we have to find out where our homerooms are at least, don't we?" She was so irrationally angry in the mornings; it was hilarious.

"Asshole, our guidance counselor emailed us our homeroom numbers. Before we even left Oak Town! Did you even read it?" Oh. "Make a left at this light."

"I did, asshole. I was going to tell you everything it said. Homeroom is from 7:30 to 7:40. There are nine periods after that and four minutes between each period to get to your locker or do some drugs before your next class, and the day ends at 2:16." He didn't know what email she got last week because that's the only information he received.

"I have no idea what email you got, _asshole_ , because the only one I got was an attachment from my guidance counselor telling me where my homeroom was and to go to her office afterwards. She didn't tell me anything about the drug breaks they give in between classes."

"Go in my email and look for an email from her, ASSHOLE." More likely than not, they both read half of an email. Jellal knew that he didn't care enough to check for an attachment and Juvia was too lazy to do much more than open an attachment. They were so ass that it was funny. She was probably having the same idea because they were both laughing to themselves.

"This street continues slightly to the left, so technically go straight, but kinda make a slight left." While he made the turn she scrolled through his email and found only the one that he had already opened. "I only see the one with all the shit you told me."

"Does it have an attachment?"

He could practically feel the lights flicker on in her big head. "Oh yea! This is the same email I got! I think I just skipped to the important stuff though." _Maybe she's more ass than me._ Hopefully making her brain work this hard would fully wake her up.

"Welcome back, Juvia. I thought you were going to stay in your morning mood forever. No more Midnight Netflix for you." He saw her motion to the right turn lane and assumed that he was supposed to turn at this upcoming light. "What is my homeroom number?"

"This is the last turn. It should come up on the right before we hit the next light, so keep your eyes peeled." He kept look out while she waited for his phone to load. He remembered someone telling him that homerooms at this school went by last name, but that was very vague. He needed a classroom number or something.

"It says that you are in homeroom F-12 in the Auditorium. It must go by last name because I'm in homeroom L-10 in Computer Lab B."

"The auditorium? How many people are in there? I doubt they would divide the entire student body up in alphabetical order and stick them in the same room. That's a lot of fucking people." As Jellal was finishing his rant he began to turn into the school's parking lot and he caught a glimpse of Juvia's face. She looked like she was trying to remember something.

"Damn Jellal, you lucky bitch. I think Gray's last name starts with an F. Of course you'd have a class with him." She seemed to be speaking more to herself. She barely spoke loud enough for him to hear it, but he did indeed hear it.

He sped into the first open parking spot he saw and slammed on his breaks. "Who the fuck is _Gray_?" Before he even got the question fully out, Juvia had realized her mistake. Her first instinct was to hop out of the car and run to the nearest door on the building. _Good thing she wore her Chucks._ She knew she'd be safe until she saw him again, maybe even until they got back to his car or home at the end of the day.

"Smart bitch." He could've turned his car off quick enough to still be able to catch her, but she left her car door open, knowing that he wouldn't have been able to make it around the car in time. He just sighed and reached into his back seat for the folded black tee and the black and white Converses that he kept back there as a back up. He knew Juvia probably forgot about it, but he needed her to let her guard down in one way or another if he was going to be able to get her. He knew she was smart enough to avoid him, but he will always be one step ahead of her.

"Is this a '99 Acura Integra?" The sound of the soft voice surprised him somewhat. He didn't really plan on talking to anyone here, at all. Ever. He finished tying his sneaker and looked up to see a pretty girl with long straight dark hair, so dark it looked black. HIs first thought was to check out her body, _because damn._ But it didn't take him long to come back to his senses and scowl at this girl for bothering to approach him before he even got the chance to get out of his car.

"No actually. It's a 1997." He hopped out of his car and grabbed his book bag and a hoodie. He expected her to catch the unwelcoming vibe he was trying to give and just walk away. But she just stayed where she was. Something about her eyes. She seemed just as fed up with the world as he did. When he shut his door he leaned against his car and stared right into her eyes. They were so dark that he would've sworn they were black. _This was just a dark chick_. She seemed kind of familiar actually.

"Why the fuck are you staring at me like that?"

Instead of answering her, he just tilted his head to the side. "I know you from somewhere, don't I?" She looked surprised before she flashed the most predatory smile that he had ever seen on a girl. Jellal knew exactly who she was. After at least a decade of not thinking about his girl, he could never completely forget her.

His epiphany must've been more visible that he'd intended because she just began to laugh and throw her arms around his torso. "Hello Jellal."

"Hello Ultear. It's been a while." He wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on top of hers.

"It certainly has, Lolly." She pulled out of the hug and grabbed his hand, walking towards the building. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again. What are you doing here?"

He rolled his eyes at the ridiculous nickname that he hadn't heard since he was a kid. He assumed she knew where she was going, so he just let her lead the way. "Juves started to get into trouble back in Oak Town. I had to move us out of there before she got any worse."

"Damn, my next question was how is little Juvia?"

"Not so little anymore," he sighed. _Who was this Gray kid?_ "She's basically all grown up. Kind of like you, Teardrop. Puberty treated you pretty well." She rolled her eyes and smiled over to him.

" _Me?_ You'll be on everyone's radar before the end of the day. Magnolia doesn't get many new students."

They were already getting stares just walking through the hallway. Jellal pretended not to notice. He was 6'3" with blue hair and a tattoo on his face; he would be on people's radars even if he was ugly.

"Oh please. Quit gassing me. It's not even two weeks into the school year. I don't think that qualifies me as new." He looked down to his watch to see what time it was; he didn't want to be late to homeroom on his first day. "Where is the auditorium?"

"I'll take you there; we still have a little time," she threw in before she lost her original train of thought. "I'm not kidding, Lolly. Most of these clowns have been in the same classes since they were in kindergarten. You'll stick out like a sore thumb. Hell, even I've been here for almost nine years now." _So that's how long it's been._

"Whatever. Why is my homeroom in such a big space?" He took in his surroundings while he walked. He knew he wasn't going to remember anything, but it was worth a shot.

"All of the homerooms are by last name. Since there are so many kids in each letter, they're each in a big enough room, or a hallway with a bunch of classrooms. I don't remember your last name but I know Gr– "

She was cut off by the sound of a loud, annoying school bell. Jellal lifted up his wrist to see if Ultear had in fact lied about how much time they had to get where they needed to go.

"Relax, that was just the two-minute warning bell. The auditorium is right down that hallway. Just go to the stage and sign your name with one of the administrators, then just sit there for ten minutes." He thanked her and gave her a hug, promising to meet her after school by his car before she scurried off into one of the cafeterias.

He made his way into the giant auditorium and saw the left half of the stage cluttered with teachers holding up signs with the letter "F" on them. It annoyed him that the right half of the auditorium was reserved for the students with "E" last names. _So backwards._ He assumed the ten teachers up on the stage were too stupid to change their perspective for the sake of the gazillion students reading these two letters in reverse-alphabetical order.

 _Oh no, my hostility is showing._ He tried to put himself in a positive mindset before he got any more annoyed with the workings of this school. He hadn't even been to one class yet and he was already itching to just ditch. He walked up to an old female teacher who was clad in an ugly pink sweat suit and thick glasses on her face. He hoped this feeble lady wasn't a gym teacher. She looked up at him with fear in her eyes, like most people did. It always made him even angrier than he naturally was.

She cleared her throat and looked down pretending to read the list of names, clearly uncomfortable with the boy standing before her. "Uhh last name, sir?"

"Fernandez"

Jellal smiled when she flinched at the sound of his voice. Some people were so dramatic.

"Jellal?" She looked up for a quick second, just long enough to see him nod, then looked back down at her packet. "Do you have student ID by any chance? I know this is your first day, but I have to ask." He simple shook his head, ready to end this conversation. She slid the packet in his direction and held out the pen to him.

"Just initial next to your name and sit down until the bell rings. You'll have to go to the guidance office to get your schedule and ID then. If you don't know where it is, I can have someone take you." He was thinking of something disrespectful he could say to her when something caught his eye. It was as if that one name popped off of the list, right in to his line of vision.

 _Gray Fullbuster – F-10_

And the poor kid hadn't checked in yet. Perfect.

He looked at the woman with a smile and sat right on the table next to the packet. "I think I'll stay here up here for a while." Either his smile was much creepier than he thought or far more captivating, because she didn't even try to tell him not to. He got comfortable checking the name of every kid that initialed that packet. He even checked the girls too, even though he was certain that Juvia said "he" somewhere in her statement. He didn't care what gender was after his sister; everyone was equal in the eyes of a big brother.

 _Feminism… Am I right?_

It was at that moment, while Jellal was busy laughing at his own joke, that he made eye contact with this black-haired kid. It wouldn't have meant anything to Jellal, but the frown that this particular boy sported looked too familiar to be a coincidence. He just knew that this was Gray. He couldn't have been more than a few inches shorter than himself, kind of on the skinny side from what he could see. Messy hair, a pair of black shorts, red Vans, and a red sweatshirt. This kid looked like he just rolled out of bed. _This should be simple._

Jellal sat there smiling, waiting for Gray to come up and confirm what he already knew.

Before he even got a chance to pull out his ID, the skeleton woman on the other side of the table smiled at him. "Good morning Gray. Why do we look so down?"

 _Bingo._ He decided to wait until Gray finished his conversation before he went in for the attack.

"Hi, Ms. Ooba. I'm not down, I just hate being here." _This kid is like a mini-me._

Gray proceeded to find his name on the list while Ooba went on laughing at his joke that wasn't a joke, trying to ignore the menacing man staring at him from his side. He had planned on walking in the opposite direction when he finished what he was doing. That was until said kid smacked his hands against the table and hopped down, throwing his arm around Gray's shoulders.

"So Granny, I pick Gray to take me to the guidance office. His face looks awfully familiar."

Gray was fully prepared to curse this guy out. That was until he turned and saw the sadistic grin on his face and the _face tattoo_. A sharp pain shot down Gray's spine before goose bumps spread across his skin.

This was Jellal.

Why was he here?

He looked exactly the way his personality was described, if that made any sense. This was the kind of guy that Erza would be attracted to, of course. Leave it to Gray to be interested in the little sister of a man like this, _of course_.

Why was he here?

"Gray, are you okay accompanying Mr. Fernandez to the guidance office when the bell rings?" Ooba didn't need to say it out loud for both of them to know that she was asking if Gray felt safe with Jellal. He saw Jellal smiling at him still, but felt the threat in his eyes.

"Yea, I know him."

"O-okay then. Just sit– "

"Actually we're going to be leaving homeroom a little early today, Granny." Before she could even answer they were off of the stage and out into the hallway.

Gray wouldn't be bested by this guy that easily. He couldn't look like a pussy that quickly. He was way too tired for this kind of bullshit this early on a Monday morning. He would not get his ass beat twice in two hours.

"Let go of me. What the fuck?" Gray had to pry Jellal off of him before pushing him a good distance away. Jellal watched Gray throw his hoodie off and get into a fighting stance. _So he knows how to fight_.

They both stood there: one smiling and one growing more uncertain by the second. "Why are you just standing there? You pulled me out here to fight, didn't you?" He was way too tired and way too confused for this, but Gray would never back down from a fight.

"Actually no. You seem like you haven't fully left your bed yet," Jellal laughed and walked towards him, throwing his arm back around his shoulders. Since he was not nearly as forceful as the first time Gray didn't fight back. "You're actually gonna do something for me, Gray."

It didn't sound like he had much choice in the matter; but if he was going to play along, he had to get something in return. "If I'm gonna do anything for you, you're gonna have to answer some questions or something. You got lucky by catching me this early before my brain turned fully on. But I'm still not gonna do something for nothing."

Jellal began to laugh again and started walking down the hallway. Gray instinctively went in the direction of the guidance office, hoping that's where they were really headed. "Alright, Fullbuster, I'll agree to those terms." He briefly pulled his arm tighter around Gray's neck, "but I'm gonna tell you a short story first."

Gray pushed him off and continued walking towards the front of the school. Jellal kept pace next to him and began his story. "I have a little sister named Juvia." _Oh no._ "She's is a sophomore, just like yourself; but I have a feeling you already know that. Anyway, this morning as we were pulling up for our first day of school at Magnolia High, we began discussing how nonsensical it was to stick all four grades in a homeroom together, to which she responded 'Damn Jellal, you lucky bitch. I think Gray's last name starts with an F. Of course you'd have a class with him'." Gray tripped over his feet for a second, regaining his footing quickly. "Don't get tripped up now, Gray. She ran off before I could even find out who this 'Gray' person was. And then, guess what?"

"You creepily sat in Ms. Ooba's face until I showed up." Gray rolled his eyes at Jellal's enthusiasm. It was obvious that he knew how to get under people's skin. He had sarcasm practically leaking out of his mouth every time he opened it to say something.

"More or less. Anyway, Juvia is not supposed to keep secrets from me. Especially when it comes to the shitty boys she chooses to be a part of her life." He saw Gray get ready to complain, but cut him off before he could get any words out. "Oh shut up, I'm not talking about you. There's a reason I haven't beat you bloody yet," he punched Gray in the arm a little too hard to be playful. The look on his face showed that he didn't even notice the amount of strength he used.

They approached the office and leaned against the wall next to the door. "So instead of beating you up, I'm just gonna keep you close. Only for today, unless she tries to act out. Then who knows how long I'll have to keep you."

Gray was honestly expecting much worse. If he were lucky he wouldn't even run into Juvia today. He definitely didn't want her to see him being held hostage by her brother. In the back of his mind he wanted to go find her to at least say hi, maybe ask her why she didn't tell him that she was transferring today. But all that could wait until tomorrow when he didn't have a chaperone from hell.

The school bell dismissing homeroom cut off Gray's train of thought. Jellal tapped his arm silently instructing Gray to follow him into the office. "She should be here before first period starts."

"Wait, _what_?"

Jellal looked over unfazed, "We have to meet with our guidance counselor to get our schedules. You can ask me any questions as you walk me to my first class."

This went against Gray's entire plan. He wasn't mentally prepared for this. _Way way too tired_. Thirty minutes ago he left home thinking that he was going to sleep through this day to make up for the energy drain of the night before. Now everything exhausting about lastnight was getting plunged into Gray's lap before he even reached first period.

He needed back up. He had to get ahold of Natsu or Erza or even Mira or–

 _Erza_

She was bound to notice her ex-boyfriend dragging Gray around school all day. He told her that they had time to prepare. Boy, was he wrong.

Gray was genuinely worried about Erza being with this maniac.

Not even one period into the day.

Leave it to Gray to have this kind of luck.

He took a quick glance at Jellal watching the door with the same sadistic grin that he'd been scaring people with all morning. He pulled up Snapchat really quick on his phone, grabbing a quick picture of him and the side of a big head covered in blue hair. He wrote the caption 'SOS', and sent it off to Natsu and Mira. Even if Natsu was too dumb to figure out what it meant, he knew Mira would have an idea of what was going on. Gray just wished he had added Juvia on Snapchat so he could warn her too.

Gray's heart was out for Juvia. Her brother was going to have a field day with her.

That's when Gray got the idea to just text her! He could just tell her not to come and then–

"Oh, you're on Snapchat. I thought maybe you were trying to text my sister not to come here. I knew you wouldn't be that stupid." Gray jumped at the sound of Jellal's voice, forgetting for a split second that he could easily see what he was doing on his phone. _Well, that plan failed._ He decided to just play it off like his game-changer wasn't completely figured out.

"That actually would've been a good idea."

Jellal let out an ugly snort and nudged Gray in his side. "You're smarter than that. Where was she going without a schedule to tell her where she's supposed to be?" _Damn._ Gray hadn't thought of that.

Gray was convinced that Jellal was some evil genius that was sent to Earth to psychologically torture those around him. His only option was to sit back and wait another minute or two for Juvia to come into the office and hopefully have a way to free him of her brother. _I haven't even been up for two hours yet._

Gray couldn't _wait_ to see what else this day had in store for him.


End file.
